Cast Iron Steak Recipe with Mustard and Smoked Paprika

If you’re craving steak, make this cast iron steak recipe with mustard and smoked paprika. The 30-minute marinade imparts intensely delicious smoky and savory flavors to the dish, without hours of preparation.

How to Make a Perfect Steak

I use cast iron skillets for just about everything I cook. I own many pans that range in size from 3 inches across (perfect fried egg pan), up to my rectangular griddle and grill pan that fits across two burners. Well-seasoned cast iron is naturally non-stick, and inexpensive to purchase. The cast iron skillet is a perfect cooking vessel for steak, as it goes from stove top into the oven easily. In this particular recipe, the skillet is preheated, and the steak is quickly seared. They are also great for campfire cooking, like many of the recipes found in one of my favorite cookbooks of 2018 by Laura Bashar, The Camp & Cabin Cookbook: 100 Recipes to Prepare Wherever You Go.

Smoked Paprika

I love the smoky flavor that the smoked paprika brings to this dish, without the use of liquid smoke. Smoked paprika is a Spanish spice, made from pimiento peppers that are smoked and dried over an oak fire. A little bit of Spanish paprika goes a long way. Combined with Dijon mustard, garlic, and sherry vinegar in this recipe, the flavors create a perfectly balanced dish.

Instructions

Mince garlic and whisk together with remaining ingredients. Marinate steak for 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler to high, with oven shelf positioned 5-6 inches below. Preheat a 10" or 12" cast iron skillet in oven for 5-7 minutes. If all the steak won't fit in one pan, do it in batches.

Carefully remove cast iron skillet from oven, and drop in steak. Cook for 2 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F for medium rare, or 130 degrees F for medium. Be sure to let the steak rest for 10 minutes after pulling from the oven, then slice.